


The three laws of robotics

by NYWCgirl



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [20]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bombs, Career Ending Injuries, Friendship, Gen, Mac is an android, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Team as Family, Trauma, whumpmac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29581182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: The Phoenix team encounters an android, little do they know how traumatized he is.
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137467
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	The three laws of robotics

**Author's Note:**

> This is fic fills in prompt nr. 20 in Febuwhump, ‘betrayal’  
> (MAC - Military artificial Contract)

Jack´s phone pings. He checks the message, it’s from Matty, telling him to meet her in the War Room. He drives to the Phoenix, walking straight up to the meeting room. Matty and Riley are already waiting for him.

‘What’s happening?’

‘One of our teams confiscated evidence and there was an android amongst the assets.

‘Really Matty, an android? You know how I feel about these things. I hate robots.’

‘Can I finish?’

‘Yeah, but…’

‘Zip it Jack, this android is a next generation AI…’

‘What does that even mean?’

‘It means… it has feelings. It was severely traumatized and a lot of people don´t think it salvageable, but I disagree. I think he could be valuable asset for the Phoenix.’

Jack has always had a weakness for the weak and unprotected, and Matty knows how to play him like a violin. Rolling his eyes, he hates himself for what he is about to say.

‘Where is it?’

‘He is downstairs in the lab. I want you and Riley to go and meet him, while I take care of the necessary paperwork.’

‘Let’s get this over with and if it goes wrong… I told you so.’

‘Get out Jack and play nice.’

* * *

Riley and Jack walk into the lab. The android is on one of the steel tables. They must have turned it off. Because it appears to be completely motionless. That is what he hates about these damn things, you don´t know what you are getting.

They take their time to study the android and he appears so innocent, his creators made him looking like he is in his early twenties, blond, slim, an all American boy next door. Jack checks the robot but there is no way to tell if the robot is faking it or really powered down. Riley picks up her gear and looks for the USB-port in the back of its neck. She connects her rig and starts typing while Jack keeps a watchful eye, making sure everything is safe.

‘It’s really down. The TAC team must have switched it off, which is kind of rude.’

‘What do you mean rude. We don´t know anything about the situation, maybe he was violent.’

‘I don´t see any damage to his outer layer.’

‘Well, I think it was probably the sensible thing to do. Will this take long?’

Jack wants to get out of here as quickly as possible. He just doesn´t like robots.

‘No, I’m already halfway through his programming.’

Jack further studies the robot, he really doesn’t look how Jack expected a robot to look like.

‘OK, I have run through his programming, there doesn´t appear to be any faults or viruses present in his programming, so I am going to turn him back on.’

‘Wait, what?’

But before Jack can stop Riley, she already turned on the android. It’s eyes open and he seems to be scanning his surroundings. Jack takes a couple of steps back, and pulls out his weapon. You can never be too sure.

The android’s eyes widen and he raises his hands, ‘I didn´t do it.’

‘You didn´t do what?’

‘Whatever has you pull a gun at me.’

‘OK start from the beginning. What are you?’

‘My name is MAC. I am an android as you are aware of. Where are we? This doesn´t appear to be the base I was assigned to.’

‘What is your task in the military?’

‘I am an EOD bot.’

‘I have worked with EOD bots and I never had a sentient one. What are you really!’

Jack’s voice gets harder and Mac flinches away from him. Jack takes a step back. The android seemed afraid of him there for a moment.

‘I…’

‘It is fine. I am an android, remember?’

Jack doesn´t buy it, he saw the robot flinch away. Why would he? He is infinite times stronger than Jack. Matty told him the android was traumatized, so what happened? Riley steps in, standing in front of Jack, so Mac looks at her instead of Jack.

‘You are at the Phoenix Foundation, we’re…’

‘… a think tank, or that is your cover story. I have access to classified information.’

‘How did you get that?’

They all stare in amazement at the way a blush creeps in the android’s face. How life like did they make him?

‘I… I gave myself access.’ He says quietly.

‘OK, let’s not dwell on that, Jack, can I talk to you outside?’

‘Sure.’

Riley and Jack walk outside, closing the door behind them.

‘So, what do we do now?’

Jack looks through the window at Mac. The android is clearly studying his environment. Jack can see how people would like the android, he is quite innocent looking, he doesn´t have a bulky body and with his blue eyes and blond hair, he looks like the boy next door. His designers did great work, Jack has to admit that.

‘Can´t we power him down?’

‘No jack, I explained it to you, powering down a sentient being is rude and not done.’

‘We can´t leave it here, can we?’

The team starts when Mac knocks on the window.

‘You do realize I can hear you even through the door, right?’

Jack looks at Riley, who shrugs.

‘I have a house in the hills.’

Jack pulls the door open, ‘what do you mean, you have a house in the hills?’

‘My creator left me his house when he died.’

‘Is that even legal?’ Jack looks at Riley, who shrugs again.

‘The law was…’ Mac starts.

‘Yeah, yeah, so you have a home to go to. We can work with that. Lead the way.’

They walk to Jack’s car in the underground parking.

‘Nice car.’ Jack smiles at Jack.

‘A classic lover?’

‘Yeah, my designer liked classic cars, so he put that love in my programming.’

‘I think I would have liked your creator.’

‘You would have.’ Mac says with a sad smile.

Mac guides them to his home with the efficiency of a GPS. The moment Jack drives onto the driveway, he studies the bungalow in awe.

‘This is your home?’

‘hm. Hm.’ Mac leaves the car walking to the front door.

The door doesn’t appear to be locked and Mac enters, waving them in. The team follows him in. The house is an eclectic collection of Knick knacks. Jack raises his eye brows at the polar bear in the hallway. There are half finished projects everywhere.

‘Welcome. Make yourself comfortable.’

‘Mac, what a view!’ Riley calls out.

‘Yeah, it is very spectacular, isn´t it?’

‘So what do you want from me?’ Mac asks sitting down on the wood deck.

‘Can I light the fire pit?’ Jack asks enthusiastically.

‘Of course, there is wood and kindle over there.’ Mac points towards the garden.

‘Well, you were rescued by a Phoenix TAC-team and we would like you to work for us.’

‘But I am an EOD bot, I used to diffuse IED’s in Afghanistan.’

‘The Phoenix Foundation can use a team member like you.’

Mac’s expression sobers.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing. Look. I don’t have food in the house, but I can order some take-out. What would you like?’

‘Pizza man.’ Jack calls out from where he is gathering a second load of wood.

‘Which kind?’

The tells their preference and Mac nods. When he doesn´t move, Riley looks expectantly at him.

‘Do I have something on my face?’ Mac asks self-conscious.

‘No, but shouldn´t you order?’

‘Oh sorry, I am connected to the wifi, I already put in the order. It will arrive in seventeen minutes. They look stunned. This is more creepy than they expected.

‘So you said the Phoenix could use someone like me. Would I work in the field, with you?’

Mac’s voice has gotten something wishful over it. Jack is baffled. This robot is good, they will need to be careful. This is how the robopocalypse will start.

* * *

‘Mac! We need to go.’

‘No, you need to go. I can diffuse this bomb.

‘You can´t Mac!’

‘Get out! NOW!’ Mac growls.

Jack gives him a last look and leaves the space, running towards the exit. In his head he is counting down. He knows he shouldn´t have left Mac. Who knew this android could get under his skin so fast?

When he reaches zero, there is no explosion and it doesn´t take long before Mac comes out of the building.

‘You did it!’ Jack exclaims happy.

‘Did you doubt my abilities?’

Mac sounds surprised and then he tilts his head which Jack recognizes as Mac trying to make sense of things.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘You sound worried. Were you worried?

‘Yes, I was worried. What did you think?’

Jack shakes his head, what is going on in that brain of the kid? And since when did Mac become a kid?

‘What if something happened to you?’

‘Then what?’ Mac looks surprised. I’m a robot. I am not a person.’

Jack is taken aback by the careless tone Mac uses to talk about himself. And yet there is a tone of longing in there.

‘We need to talk kid.’

‘OK.’ Mac says meekly, unsure.

‘Let’s go somewhere. Debrief can wait.’

‘Are you sure? I don´t want to get into trouble.’

Jack studies Mac, what has the kid so frightened, something must have happened, ‘Yes, I am sure.’

Jack walks to the car with Mac in his wake. He drives them to the skeeball place he always takes Riley when they need to talk.

* * *

The team is summoned to the war room. We have a time sensitive op, you are wheels up in thirty, you will be briefed in the plane.’

They get up and a car is standing by to takes them to the airport. Their go-bags are already loaded. Once they are in the jet, Jack checks the lunchbox that is on board and hands Riley a sandwich and a soda.

‘Do you want something?’ he asks Mac, knowing full well Mac doesn´t need to eat but can.

Mac politely declines, ‘do you want the briefing now?’ Mac asks.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Matty sent me the info.’

‘Well, what are you waiting for?’

Mac starts relaying the info Matty sent him. Jack asks questions which Mac easily answers and the briefing is over before they know it.

After they land, they walk up to the rental company where the Phoenix rented a car.

‘So, where to Mac?’

‘Keep driving towards the turnpike.’

Jack follows the instructions and soon they are standing in front of an abandoned building.

‘This is where the scientist was found.’

‘Ok, let’s see if they missed anything.’

Jack pulls out his gun, you never know who you will encounter in an abandoned building. He clears the path as they go with Riley in the middle with Mac closing the line. Walking deeper into the building, Jack’s spidey senses tell him they are walking into a trap.

‘OK, I want you to go back, now!’ he says quickly. Mac immediately grabs Riley’s arm and pulls her towards him, turning to leave. And then all hell breaks loose. A TAC-team appears out of nowhere and it is clear they came prepared.

‘Throw the gun down agent Dalton!’

So they know who they are.

‘What do you want?’

‘We want Mac, so Mac, let’s go and agent Dalton and Miss Davis won´t get harmed.’

Mac releases Riley and steps towards the man.

‘Mac, no, don´t!’ Jack calls out.

‘Don’t make me hurt them too Mac. You know what I’m capable off.’

Mac nods, eyes downcast.’

‘Mac!’

Jack is hit from behind and crumples to the floor. Riley lets herself drop next to Jack.

’Let’s go Mac, I mean it.’

Mac’s hurt is visible in his eyes but before he can do anything, he is disabled by one of the TAC-members and he too flops to the floor. He is picked up by two men and carried away.

‘Forget this ever happened Miss Riley.’

* * *

What is going on Matty? We walked right into a trap. A trap to catch Mac.’

‘I know Jack, we are doing everything we can to track these guys.’

‘Can you track Mac?’

‘No, when they turned him off, the tracked was also disabled. But we are following the van via traffic cams. I want you back at the Phoenix.’

‘No way Matty, I am not going anywhere.’

‘That is an order Jack!’

Jack gives Riley a cut throat signal and she immediately cuts comms.

‘Can you see what they see in the war room?’

‘No, but I am seeing what the analysts are doing.’

‘Perfect, let’s go find Mac.’

Riley tells Jack where to go and after two hours they stop in front of an old building on the outskirts of town.

‘You stay here Riley, I’m going in to see if I can turn Mac back on.’

‘Be careful.’

Jack nods, checking his gun.

It doesn´t take long to find what appears to be a lab, where they are keeping Mac. There appear to be no guards, which is odd in itself, but Jack isn´t going to question any good luck.

‘Mac?’

The android is twitching. There is a cable connected to him and Jack is not sure if he can remove the cable without harming Mac.

‘Mac, I need you to open your eyes and tell me you are online. Come on, wake up or reboot or whatever it is you need to do.’

‘Riley, can I remove the cable without hurting Mac?’

‘To what is it connected?’

‘To some sort of big ass computer.’

‘Well, I guess we can´t wait to find out. There are people on their way to you.’

Jack pulls the cable out of Mac’s USB-port. He boots the android, who springs to life.

‘Mac! Let’s go. There are hostiles on their way.’

Mac immediately gets up and seems to be scanning the space.

‘Jack, you need to get out of here.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘This building is rigged to explode. You really need to go.’

‘Can you diffuse it?’

‘I’ll try.’

‘That’s not an answer. Can you or can’t you?’

Mac looks at Jack, ‘I’m programmed to do this Jack. So, please go. I mean it.’

Jack shakes his head, ‘not going to happen, Mac.’

Mac gets a sad look, ‘I’m sorry Jack.’

Jack studies Mac, ‘What for?’

He grabs Jack and turns away from the explosive, shielding Jack when the bomb explodes and the world goes black.

* * *

Jack blinks against the lights and is grateful someone dims them.

‘Welcome back, Jack.’

Jack squints, recognizing Riley.

‘You alright?’

‘Yeah Jack, we were worried about you.’

Jack searches his memories, he was in a building with mac. Mac!

‘Mac, how is he?’

Riley looks sad., ‘I’m sorry Jack, he didn´t make it.

‘What do you mean, he is an android, he can be repaired, can´t he?’

‘He was irreparable damaged by the blast.’

‘But he is an android. He can be rebuild, can´t he?’

‘He could if we had drawings, but we haven´t.’

‘He didn’t deserve an ending like that.’

‘No, he didn´t.’

‘What’s the damage?’

‘Well, a wopper of a concussion, some cracked ribs, fractured right arm, some sprains and bruises. You were lucky.’

‘It wasn´t luck. Mac shielded me from the blast.’

‘And he did a good job. It’s the reason you are still alive.’

‘Yeah.’

* * *

_Months later…_

‘Jack, remember when Riley told you we couldn´t salvage Mac?’

‘Yeah I do.’

It still hurts Jack they weren´t able to safe Mac. But he also doesn´t like the where this is going.’

‘Don’t tell me he was salvageable, after all.’

‘No, he wasn´t. His body was irreparable damaged. Riley and the best of our tech team tried to save his processor but it turned out there was a virus introduced while he was taken. But they were able to save bits and pieces.

‘And?’

‘There have been experiments with transferring data into the brains of clones.

‘What are you saying Matty?’

‘Riley worked together with the research team and they were able to transfer the retrieved data into a working brain.

‘What? Matty, no, that…’

‘It worked, Jack.’

‘Matty, Mac was severely traumatized, it is not fair to introduce these memories into someone.’

‘They made sure the data was filtered?’

Jack shakes his head he is not sure how he thinks about this experiment.

‘But there wasn´t enough to fill an adult brain.’

‘matty8 What did they do.’ Jack growls.

Matty is unfazed and turns around to leave the war room, to return almost immediately. She is holding hands with a small boy. His hair is blond and he has big blue eyes scanning the room.

‘Jack!’ the young boy cries out and before Jack has time to register what is going on, the boy crashes into him.

‘Jack, this is Mac.’

‘I know Jack.’ The boy says with a big smile.

‘You do?’ Jack asks in surprise.

‘Yes, silly, you took me to the skee ball place for pizza.’

Tears built in Jack’s eyes.

‘Why are you crying?’

‘Because I am happy, I thought I lost you.’

‘No, you didn´t. Miss Matty told me I could live with you. Is that true? I would like that.’

Jack looks up at Matty.

‘Someone needs to take care of Mac and keep him safe.’

‘It would be a privilege, kid.’

Mac smiles happily and puts his hands out, indicating he wants to be picked up. And Jack happily does so and takes him in a bear hug. The kid squealing in delight.’

‘Not so high Jack.’ He giggles, ‘what if I fall?’

‘I won’t let you fall, kid. Are you ready to go home?’

‘Yeah, can we light the fire pit?’

‘Of course we can. We can make s’mores.’

‘Yeaaaaah!’

‘I’ll come over later tonight Jack. Here is the company credit card. Get Mac the stuff he needs.’

Jack nods. Only now starting to realize his life is going to take a drastic turn.


End file.
